OhYaGood

Whole Food Lover + Recipe Hacker

Slow Cooker Carnitas

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carnitasOh for the love of my crock pot. What would I do without you? I guess I’d have to shorten roasting times and have to stay put whilst cooking. Sounds like too much work to me.

Carnitas are a family favorite here and yes, super easy. You don’t have to sear the meat beforehand and using jarred salsa is an instant flavor maker. I prefer Trader Joes Salsa Autentica. I keep saying this on my blog, but I like easy and I like leftovers. This one is great with a fried egg on top with some avocado. Drooling just typing about it. In the picture I served it with green cabbage, pickeled beets, avocado, red onion and cilantro with some additional lime and orange juice.

Slow Cooker Carnitas
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 4lb pork roast or shoulder
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • dash of cinnamon
  • dash of cayenne (optional)
  • juice of one lime
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 1 T molasses
  • ½ cup salsa
  • ½ broth of choice
Instructions
  1. Mix all the seasonings and rub mixture on the pork
  2. Place the pork in the slow cooker
  3. Add lime juice, orange juice, molasses, salsa and broth
  4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours
  5. Shred meat and serve

 

Baked Cod with Roasted Tomatoes

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CodI didn’t post yet this week due to the extra work I needed to get my blog more organized. Oh and my Mom visited and we pretty much FINISHED our Christmas shopping. Feels so good.

Cod has become my new favorite fish to make at home. It takes minimal work and super quick to cook in the oven, stovetop or grill. This recipe could easily be replaced with Tilapia or another flakey white fish you prefer. Cod usually runs a little cheaper, especially the frozen kind at Trader Joes. Although, fresh always tastes the best.

Baked Cod with Roasted Tomatoes
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 cod fillets, each about 8 ounces
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • lemon (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 400°F
  2. Place tomatoes in a 9X13 baking dish with ½ T of olive oil and salted
  3. Roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes
  4. Remove the tomatoes and decrease temperature of the oven to 350°F
  5. Mix the thyme, remainder of olive oil, white wine and garlic into the tomatoes
  6. Place the cod on top of the mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper
  7. Cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of the fish
  8. Season with lemon juice

 

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

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Thai Coconut Chicken SoupCold and rainy weather means soup in this house. It makes it smell so good, cooking all afternoon. Plus, being able to just walk away while the magic happens makes evenings so much easier.

I used to cook Asian food quite often until I had to avoid soy. I miss it so much but have found satisfaction through other dishes like curries, coconut flavors and fish sauce. This recipe was a quick creation when I specifically wanted a soup with some heat. It turned out perfectly.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
  • 4 cups chicken, veggie or bone broth
  • 1 med onion, diced
  • 2 med carrots, diced
  • 1 med celery stick, diced
  • 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 T fresh ginger, grated
  • ½ canned coconut cream
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • juice of one lime
  • ½ teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • (optional) chipotle pepper or red chili flake
  • a bunch of cilantro
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat
  2. Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes
  3. Add mushrooms and ginger and sauté for another 5 minutes
  4. Add broth and bring to a boil
  5. Add chicken and lower heat to a simmer
  6. Cook for 10 minutes
  7. Add coconut cream, coriander, lime, fish sauce and salt
  8. Serve with cilantro and a dash of chipotle or chili flake

 

Chicken Sausage Salad

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chicken_sausage_saladI’m usually the person that brings a salad to pot luck functions because so many salads have cheese on them which means I’m S.O.L. There’s a basic equation when thinking about a salad I heard years ago that I try to follow.

1) Start with your base green or filler

2) Add some protein

3) Add something salty or crunchy

4) Finish with something sweet or tangy

This delicious tangy salad follows that equation and it’s super easy to put together. Aidell’s Chicken Sausage makes it extra easy because it’s already cooked. All you have to do is heat it up.

Chicken Sausage Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken apple sausages
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 2 granny smith apples, diced
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced
  • ½ cup walnut pieces
  • 1 T hemp seeds
  • 1 T olive oil
  • ½ T apple cider vinegar
Instructions
  1. Cook sausages per package instructions, I prefer to pan fry or grill.
  2. Slice the sausages.
  3. Toss with the spinach, apples, onion and walnuts.
  4. Dress with olive oil and vinegar.
  5. Garnish with hemp seeds.

 

Beanless Chili

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Beanless_Chili

The minute the weather cools, I make a batch of chili. My recipe for years, that has even won me a chili cook-off or two (oh ya!) was in need of an upgrade. I wanted to incorporate more veggies into it, omit the beer, minimize the sugar and try it without beans. Sounds like I would be ruining it however, the results were outstanding! I didn’t even miss the beans but I could see adding them in again when I can tolerate them. What I did miss were leftovers. Hermpf.

Beanless Chili
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 lb of sirloin steak, cubed
  • 1 lb of ground beef
  • 1 med onion, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 red, yellow or orange pepper, seeded and diced
  • 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic (or you can add garlic separately)
  • 1 c dark roast coffee
  • 1½ c broth (beef, chicken, veg or bone)
  • ⅛ c maple syrup
  • 1 T molasses
  • 3½ T chili powder
  • 1 T cumin seeds
  • 1 T unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • (optional) 1 t cayenne pepper
  • (optional) 1 fresh hot chili, such as serano, padron, etc. seeded and minced
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a dutch oven or large pan over medium heat.
  2. Add sirloin to the pan, spaced out and carefully not to overcook.
  3. Remove from pan into a separate bowl.
  4. Add a sprinkle of cumin to toast for a minute.
  5. Add onion, carrots, celery, sweet pepper and hot pepper if using to the pan.
  6. Once softened, add the ground beef.
  7. Brown the beef and add the tomato paste and cook for a minute.
  8. Add ½ c broth to deglaze the pan.
  9. Add the sirloin back, canned tomatoes, coffee, remainder of the broth, maple syrup, molasses, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, oregano, coriander and salt.
  10. Let simmer on low for at least an hour. Stir occasionally.
  11. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, whatever sounds good.

 

Green Chicken Salad

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Green_Chicken_Salad

Some people hate leftovers. I am not one of those people. I LOVE leftovers. Mostly because clean up is minimal and I’m lazy. The ultimate leftover in our house has always been rotisserie chicken. There’s so much you can do with already cooked chicken but my favorite is chicken salad. I’ve made it numerous ways but this is one is super easy and delicious with ingredients I usually have stocked. I used cucumbers as a vehicle but you can use bread, lettuce, whatever your hearts desire (or stomachs can handle.)

If you’re doing whole30 or eating paleo, you can omit the mayo for just oil and vinegar or make your own paleo mayo. It took me a few attempts to make it but I did get it to work. Not as satisfying as I’d hoped.

Green Chicken Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • ¼ leftover rotisserie chicken, picked apart
  • ⅛ cup mayo
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup green grapes, sliced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix.

 

Sweet Potato Hash

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SweetPotHashBreakfast for dinner is a big hit in our house. I love it because I usually have everything I need to make it so it’s a quick go-to when I don’t have a plan. Like tonight, for instance.

I’ve made this for a few crowds even before eating paleo and it’s always been a hit. A few things I will note about this recipe, it’s way easier if you have a food processor or a Ninja Prep (which is like a a combination of a blender and processor), otherwise you’ll be grating potatoes for days.  Did every cook back in the day have carpal tunnel? Oh, it’s also fairly rich dish so I’d recommend pairing it with a salad, some fruit or a cold breakfast beer to balance out the heaviness.

Sweet Potato Hash
 
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Recipe type: Brunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 5 sweet potatoes, peeled and halved to fit in processor
  • 4-6 slices of bacon
  • 1 clove of garlic or shallot, minced
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 350°F
  2. Process the sweet potatoes into small rice like size.
  3. Spread contents onto a baking sheet with a lip, lightly salt and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes
  4. While they are baking, render your bacon in a large pan big enough to hold the sweet potatoes too.
  5. Once the bacon is almost to your liking approximately 10-15 minuets, remove from the pan and set aside the bacon.
  6. Add the garlic to the bacon grease pan and cook for 2 minutes.
  7. Remove the baked sweet potatoes from the oven and add to the garlic and bacon grease.
  8. Cook the potatoes till they get lightly browned and crispy. More fat might be needed.
  9. Cut up the bacon and mix in with the potatoes.
  10. Serve the potatoes with a poached or fried egg on top, sliced avocado and green onion.

 

Carribean Cabbage Salad

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CarribeanCabbageSalad

Sometimes you just want to eat like you’re on an island somewhere. At least us Minnesotans do. As much as I don’t like to admit it, food gives me so much comfort. Probably something I need to deal with down the road but for now, I’m going to just enjoy these delicious flavors and pretend it’s not going to be cold soon. Denial? Maybe but I like to think of it as manifestation?

The key to this salad is fresh ingredients. Except for the Trader Joes frozen mango. That is purely for convenience and because I’m terrible at peeling and cutting up slippery mangos. I’ve also used pineapple in place of mango in the past.

Carribean Cabbage Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Caribean
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • Cooked Shrimp (6-12)
  • ¼ medium red cabbage, thinly sliced
  • Juice one lime and grated zest
  • One avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup diced mango (I love Trader Joes frozen mango)
  • half a yellow pepper, julienned
  • a handful of fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon full fat coconut milk
Instructions
  1. Cook shrimp in a sauté pan with oil of your choice or grill it.
  2. Add cabbage and onion to bowl and dress with lime juice. While that's marinating, cut up remaining vegetables, fruit and nuts.
  3. Add to the bowl.
  4. Whisk white wine vinegar, coconut milk and zest. Dress the salad.
  5. Salt and pepper and extra lime juice to your liking.